Skeleton hull for sea-going vessels.



T. F. GRAY.

SKELETON HULL FOR SEA-GOING VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 22. 1917.

1,297,558; Patentd Mar. 18,1919.

\ GRAY, a citizen of the pedo proof THOMAS FRANCIS GRAY, OF PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK.

SKELETON HULL FOR- SEA-GOING VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed November 22, 1917. Serial No. 203,318.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FRANCIS United States, ing in Peekskill, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Skeleton Hulls for Sea-Going Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to unsinkable vessels, and its object is to construct a skeleton hull that will make a ship practically torand non-sinkable. The objects are attained by the means set forth in this specification and the accompanying drawings, in both of which like letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my invention to consist of a vessel supported upon a skeleton hull. Fig. 2 is a plan of the vessel viewed from the bottom. Fig. 3 is a bow end elevation. Fig. 4: represents a modification of the construc tion from that shown in the other figures.

In the construction of this ship the plan would be to have that portion of the vessel that would be above the water line not different from the accustomed forms of ships, and to have that part of the hull that would be under water made in skeleton form of air-tight tanks and air-tight tubular construction.

In the figures, or represents the visible part of the ship, and b the skeleton hull; the skeleton composed of tanks 0 and framing tubes cl. The tanks are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as of oval form horizontally and of cylindrical form transversely, as in Fig. 3, while in Fig. 4 it is to be understood that they can be shaped like a double convex lens. The

double convexity would be preferable as offering better surfaces in all warding off direct impacts of torpedoes. It

directions for is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific form of the tanks.

Where tubes or piping are used in the frame work, lengths of tubes are not to open into each other, neither are tubes to open in their connections to the tanks, but each element or component part is to be an air-tight compartment in itself; so that if a tank should be pierced bv a torpedo, or a part of the frame work be broken, water would not thereby be permitted to enter some other part.

In Fig. 1, particularly, is represented a residmeans of binding together and bracing the entire construction. The masts e extend through the hull and are secured to the keel m. A brace 12 unites the tops of the masts, and the stays r r unite the tops of the masts with the bow and stern ends of the keel. Side stays s s also are shown in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 2 at t is shown a downward extension of the ships body for the accom modation of means, as possibly gearing, for driving the propeller. This may be made an air-tight compartment.

It is apparent that torpedoes could pass through this hull with little chances for causing disastrous effects. Even if a torpedo or other missile struck any part, it would have to strike squarely on the edge of a tank or. center of a tube or be warded 0E by the curving surfaces of the component elements. The vessel abovewater mig t be seriously damaged'lby exploding shells and still remain unsinkable.

Fig. 4t illustrates an application of the hull for the purposes of decoy vessels, in which the superstructure can be a mere shell representing some form of ship or transport, with the object of being used by torpedoboat destroyers to induce U-boats to show themselves. At 0 o is indicated how there may be valve means attached to some of the tanks, operatable from the body of the vessel, whereby some of the tanks can be made to fill with water, as, if a torpedo should be impelled by a hidden boat, the decoy could be given the appearance of sinking, and thereby induce the hidden boat to make its appearance, when it could be attacked. At a is shown a tank that can be of a capacity means for propelling the decoy, the body of the'vessel containing accommodations for a necessary crew.

In arranging the tanks attention would of course be given to so disposing of them in the construction that they would ofi'er as .little resistance to the water as possible.

The number of the tanks in a given case would depend upon their size, and the sizes and their disposition would need to be such as to make them as little of targets as practicable for torpedoes.

It will be obvious that the invention is not to be limited to the plans herein shown; the said plans serving the purpose of showing the employment of air-tight tanks and airtight tubing to form a skeleton hull for any Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

to contain an oil or other engine kind of vessel whether for actual service or for decoy purposes.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters PaJtent, is

1. An unsinkable vessel comprising a normal above-Water body, a downward extension of the stern end of said body between the water line and the hull, an under-water skeleton hull comprising'a multiplicity of small airtight tanks the tanks connected by air-tight tubes the tubes and tanks consti tuting the frame of the under-water hull, the tanks arranged in rows one above the other between the above-water hull and the keel,

masts erected from the keel and braces 0011-,

necting the tops of thejmasts and connecting the tops of the masts with the stern and the bow of the vessel, and means for flooding part of the tanks.

2. The combination in an unsinkable vessel of an above-water body, and an underwater skeleton hull composed of a multiplicity of small air-tight tanks, air-tight tubular connections with the tanks to constitute the framing of the said skeleton hull all arranged to preserve the contour of a :normal hull, each tube and tank forming separate air-tight compartments, masts erected from the hull and braces connecting the tops of the masts and connecting the tops of the masts with the stern and bow of the vessel.

THOMAS FRANCIS GRAY.

VVitnessesg:

JAMES D. DURAN-D, RAY R. 'DURAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

